Thanks for this deep dive into collaborative background painting and art direction across continents! Even just thinking about the logistics of that makes me feel overwhelmed. Watching the process video made me shudder at what the cost of a small mistake must have been—and reminded me how unforgiving physical media can be, even for veterans.
Secondly, the whole scanning process and various efforts to maintain fidelity! They attest to how so much can dilute/obscure/stymie the conveyance of, the story, and how truly incredible it is when stories finally make it to the audience with voice intact.
Anyway, the paintings are so beautiful and alive, and it was fun to see how they came together.
Great to hear that you liked this one! The mechanics of outsource production are something that so many people experience in animation, but they're so rarely described in the detail that Wills offered regarding his time on Samurai Jack. It's like this hidden world, and we're glad we could help to bring it out into the light a little more.
Thank you once again for another thoughtful comment!
The backgrounds in Samurai Jack remind me of the work of Gyo Fujikawa, particularly her work on A Child's Garden of Verses. I wondered when I read them if she did any work in anime/cartoons.
Thanks for this deep dive into collaborative background painting and art direction across continents! Even just thinking about the logistics of that makes me feel overwhelmed. Watching the process video made me shudder at what the cost of a small mistake must have been—and reminded me how unforgiving physical media can be, even for veterans.
Secondly, the whole scanning process and various efforts to maintain fidelity! They attest to how so much can dilute/obscure/stymie the conveyance of, the story, and how truly incredible it is when stories finally make it to the audience with voice intact.
Anyway, the paintings are so beautiful and alive, and it was fun to see how they came together.
Great to hear that you liked this one! The mechanics of outsource production are something that so many people experience in animation, but they're so rarely described in the detail that Wills offered regarding his time on Samurai Jack. It's like this hidden world, and we're glad we could help to bring it out into the light a little more.
Thank you once again for another thoughtful comment!
The backgrounds in Samurai Jack remind me of the work of Gyo Fujikawa, particularly her work on A Child's Garden of Verses. I wondered when I read them if she did any work in anime/cartoons.
You have a point! And, looking into it, it seems that she worked for Disney for a while. This article goes into more detail: https://www.cartoonbrew.com/classic/japanese-american-animation-artists-of-the-golden-age-9375.html
Love to read about how perfectionists get things done. Thank you!
Awesome -- glad you enjoyed! And if you're ever in the market for another perfectionist story, this one is quite a ride: https://animationobsessive.substack.com/p/storyboarding-like-satoshi-kon
That one's another of my favorites!
Thank you so much for doing a deep dive into the Tootsie Pop commercial! Each week keeps getting better and better, thanks guys!
We really appreciate it -- and thank you for the great idea!